http://www.smalltowncritic.com COOP COOPER is an independently syndicated film critic with a split personality. His "Southern Side" prints mainstream reviews that appear in various print publications across the mid-south. His "Dark Side" from Los Angeles befouls the site with reviews of horror and grindhouse flicks. Welcome to the site where COOP's two halves (and his contributors) review and debate the latest film/DVD releases... Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:00:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2012/01/24/10-reasons-to-attend-the-2nd-annual-clarksdale-film-fest/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2012/01/24/10-reasons-to-attend-the-2nd-annual-clarksdale-film-fest/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:00:51 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=3169 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2012/01/24/10-reasons-to-attend-the-2nd-annual-clarksdale-film-fest/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2012/01/24/gypsy-heart-brings-a-fresh-spin-to-an-old-legend/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2012/01/24/gypsy-heart-brings-a-fresh-spin-to-an-old-legend/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:41:10 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=3174 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2012/01/24/gypsy-heart-brings-a-fresh-spin-to-an-old-legend/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2012/01/04/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-2011-remake-review/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2012/01/04/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-2011-remake-review/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:06:02 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=3159 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2012/01/04/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-2011-remake-review/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/12/23/does-straw-dogs-2011-harm-mississippis-reputation/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/12/23/does-straw-dogs-2011-harm-mississippis-reputation/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:00:10 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=3157 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/12/23/does-straw-dogs-2011-harm-mississippis-reputation/feed/ 2 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/12/02/martha-marcy-may-marlene-one-of-the-best-movies-of-2011/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/12/02/martha-marcy-may-marlene-one-of-the-best-movies-of-2011/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:50:06 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=3147 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/12/02/martha-marcy-may-marlene-one-of-the-best-movies-of-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/12/02/the-debt-quick-review/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/12/02/the-debt-quick-review/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:41:05 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=3145 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/12/02/the-debt-quick-review/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/09/30/%e2%80%9cdrive%e2%80%9d-harkens-back-to-the-days-of-%e2%80%9cmiami-vice%e2%80%9d/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/09/30/%e2%80%9cdrive%e2%80%9d-harkens-back-to-the-days-of-%e2%80%9cmiami-vice%e2%80%9d/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:00:09 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=3111 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/09/30/%e2%80%9cdrive%e2%80%9d-harkens-back-to-the-days-of-%e2%80%9cmiami-vice%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/04/12/dvd-reviews-black-swan-and-tron-legacy/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/04/12/dvd-reviews-black-swan-and-tron-legacy/#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:27:29 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=3013 CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW AT THE CLARKSDALE PRESS REGISTER WEBSITE]]> http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/04/12/dvd-reviews-black-swan-and-tron-legacy/feed/ 2 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/02/26/coop-predicts-the-2011-academy-awards/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/02/26/coop-predicts-the-2011-academy-awards/#comments Sat, 26 Feb 2011 07:33:34 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2961 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/02/26/coop-predicts-the-2011-academy-awards/feed/ 2 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/02/15/the-8th-annual-oxford-film-fest-reviewed-by-coop/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/02/15/the-8th-annual-oxford-film-fest-reviewed-by-coop/#comments Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:22:35 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2949 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2011/02/15/the-8th-annual-oxford-film-fest-reviewed-by-coop/feed/ 2 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/11/07/the-cast-of-sci-fi-short-the-best-day-has-been-chosen/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/11/07/the-cast-of-sci-fi-short-the-best-day-has-been-chosen/#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:04:34 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2903 The Small Town Critic) with a production crew that consists entirely of Clarksdale, Mississippi residents. “The Best Day” is a 15-minute science fiction short about an innocent child in a dire situation. Jenny arrives home from school, excited that newly “resurrected” Mommy has returned, only to find that something is very wrong with her. When Mommy’s memories fully return, so do the tragedies of the past. They were once human, now part of a cruel experiment that repeats over and over… and it is all Daddy’s fault. THE CAST...]]> http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/11/07/the-cast-of-sci-fi-short-the-best-day-has-been-chosen/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/08/06/micro-reviews-via-twitter-turkey-shoot-bookies-restoration-shelter-the-great-raid-i-sell-the-dead/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/08/06/micro-reviews-via-twitter-turkey-shoot-bookies-restoration-shelter-the-great-raid-i-sell-the-dead/#comments Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:59:24 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2837 Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter): Looks like a random video store sampling this time. Sometimes, that's the way I like it... TURKEY SHOOT: Bourgeois sadists hunt Aussie political prisoners. Banned in OZ in the 1980's, but a total exploitation hoot. 3&1/2 out of 5 BOOKIES: 3 college dorks start a gambling operation out of their dorm room and run afoul of the mob. Smug and sloppily written. 2 out of 5 RESTORATION: A disgraced English doctor is forced to marry King Charles II's mistress, resulting in tragedy and redemption. Epic. 4 out of 5 SHELTER: Shrink meets a schizo man who suffers from a demonic curse. Gimmicky yet stylish thriller from the writer of IDENTITY. 3 out of 5 THE GREAT RAID: True story of WWII rescue of POWs from a Japanese camp in Philippines. Inspiring story yet poorly executed film. 2 out of 5 I SELL THE DEAD: Amusingly well-written tale of cockney graverobbers who specialize in capturing vamps, zombies and aliens. 3&1/2 out of 5 Thy Twitter has spoken. -Coop]]> http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/08/06/micro-reviews-via-twitter-turkey-shoot-bookies-restoration-shelter-the-great-raid-i-sell-the-dead/feed/ 1 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/07/27/micro-reviews-via-twitter-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-pecker-watching-the-detectives-salvage-2006-salvage-2009-2012-apaches/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/07/27/micro-reviews-via-twitter-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-pecker-watching-the-detectives-salvage-2006-salvage-2009-2012-apaches/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:15:23 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2802 Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter): Nothing brand new here, but I just can't get the energy up to go see WANTED II... I mean, SALT... THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO: Quirky autistic hacker chick fights crime and has a lot of sex in Sweden. High brow yet boring. 2 out of 5 PECKER: Photog's quick fame ruins lives of loved ones. Semi-autobio of John Waters. Clever allegory for artistic expression. 3&1/2 out of 5 WATCHING THE DETECTIVES: A girl (Lucy Liu) uses wild pranks to woo a nerdy boy (Cillian Murphy). Well-written indie rom-com. 3&1/2 out of 5 SALVAGE (2006): Girl relives her death at the hands of a serial killer over and over. Above par indie horror with a great twist. 3 out of 5 SALVAGE (2009): Mother searches for daughter during invasion by soldiers hunting a murderous mutant. Good tension, lame BBC plot. 2 out of 5 2012: John Cusack tries to save family from the apocalypse. Worst disaster movie ever. Roland Emmerich should take up bowling. 1 out of 5 APACHES: Sinister 1977 British public service film about irresponsible brats dying in farming accidents. Brutal and brilliant. 4 out of 5 Thy Twitter has spoken.]]> http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/07/27/micro-reviews-via-twitter-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-pecker-watching-the-detectives-salvage-2006-salvage-2009-2012-apaches/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/06/21/micro-reviews-via-twitter-get-him-to-the-greek-bitch-slap-the-calamari-wrestler-tales-from-the-script-uwe-bolls-rampage/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/06/21/micro-reviews-via-twitter-get-him-to-the-greek-bitch-slap-the-calamari-wrestler-tales-from-the-script-uwe-bolls-rampage/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:47:37 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2779 Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter): Got some high-rated exploitation (and one documentary) this time around! All of these movies are terrific, especially Uwe Boll's surprisingly powerful RAMPAGE (who would have expected that one?)... RAMPAGE: Uwe Boll knocks one out of the park. Hyperviolent domestic terrorist shocker delivers. Hell freezes over. 4 out of 5 BITCH SLAP: Fun, hyper violent, tongue-in-cheek exploitation about 3 sex bombs killing each other over loot. 3&1/2 out of 5 THE CALAMARI WRESTLER: Japanese wrestler dies and reincarnates in a mansized rubber squid suit. New camp classic. 4 out of 5 TALES FROM THE SCRIPT: A little bitter, but a must-see doc for anyone even remotely interested in screenwriting. 4 out of 5 GET HIM TO THE GREEK: Russell Brand = comedic genius. Best drug freak out scene of all time. Can't stop giggling. 4 out of 5]]> http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/06/21/micro-reviews-via-twitter-get-him-to-the-greek-bitch-slap-the-calamari-wrestler-tales-from-the-script-uwe-bolls-rampage/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/06/07/micro-reviews-via-twitter-splice-exam-d-e-b-s-disctrict-b13-ultimatum-valhalla-rising/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/06/07/micro-reviews-via-twitter-splice-exam-d-e-b-s-disctrict-b13-ultimatum-valhalla-rising/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:00:58 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2761 Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter): SPLICE: Frankenstein redo with icky scruples, laughably repulsive monster and jerk hipster protagonists. Uncool. 2 out of 5. EXAM: 8 job hopefuls locked in a room with ticking clock and menacing set of rules. Cool concept, sloppy plot. 3 out of 5. D.E.B.S.: Lesbian evil mastermind seduces crack agent of an all-girl superspy team. Spoof undermines message. 1 out of 5. DISTRICT B13: ULTIMATUM... Cliche, low on action. Huge insult to the original which set action standards. 2 out of 5. VALHALLA RISING: A bloody, trippy, grimy, violent, slow and pretentious allegory for the death of religion. 2 out of 5.]]> http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/06/07/micro-reviews-via-twitter-splice-exam-d-e-b-s-disctrict-b13-ultimatum-valhalla-rising/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/05/27/strategies-for-women-to-convince-their-men-to-go-see-chick-flicks-by-coop/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/05/27/strategies-for-women-to-convince-their-men-to-go-see-chick-flicks-by-coop/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 16:43:15 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2755 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/05/27/strategies-for-women-to-convince-their-men-to-go-see-chick-flicks-by-coop/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/05/19/micro-reviews-via-twitter-the-crazies-rec2-from-paris-with-love-how-to-train-your-dragon-shes-out-of-my-league-ninja-assassin-legion/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/05/19/micro-reviews-via-twitter-the-crazies-rec2-from-paris-with-love-how-to-train-your-dragon-shes-out-of-my-league-ninja-assassin-legion/#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 16:54:55 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2748 Coop's most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter): THE CRAZIES (2010): Great first half, effective scares (pitchfork!) but ignored much of what worked in the original. 3 stars [REC]2: Creative continuity/action/camerawork, but "Exorcist" twist undermines the mythology of original. 2&1/2 stars FROM PARIS WITH LOVE: Travolta = over the top and action scenes = outrageous, a must see for action fans. 3&1/2 stars HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: Better than AVATAR in story and intent. Total pleasant surprise. Take kids now. 4&1/2 stars SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE: Sub-par comedy. Baruchel unlikably insecure. Cop-out ending. Title ironically true. 2 stars. NINJA ASSASSIN: Good gore. Bad CGI shurikens. Rain = ok. Lead actress sucks. Sho Kosugi rocks. Lame plot. 2 stars. LEGION: Amazing concept. Angels + weapons = BOOM. Weak execution. All characters unlikable. Wings clipped. 2&1/2 stars.]]> http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2010/05/19/micro-reviews-via-twitter-the-crazies-rec2-from-paris-with-love-how-to-train-your-dragon-shes-out-of-my-league-ninja-assassin-legion/feed/ 2 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2009/12/30/sherlock-holmes-2009-movie-review-by-coop/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2009/12/30/sherlock-holmes-2009-movie-review-by-coop/#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:11:07 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2623 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2009/12/30/sherlock-holmes-2009-movie-review-by-coop/feed/ 1 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2009/11/23/new-moon-2009-12-movie-review-by-coop/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2009/11/23/new-moon-2009-12-movie-review-by-coop/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:12:49 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2597 “Twilight” a fair pass because it pulled off some original and compelling storytelling despite the backlash by non-fans who found the whole phenomenon silly and far too juvenile for mainstream audiences. I went so far as to read the New Moon novel and while I found it uneven, soapy and poorly structured, I understood and enjoyed the way it made a cliché subject readable. I also respected the direction it was heading and was looking forward to seeing the film adaptation and the next sequel (“Eclipse”). That good will has expired because...]]> http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2009/11/23/new-moon-2009-12-movie-review-by-coop/feed/ 0 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2009/11/10/the-fourth-kind-2009-12-movie-review-by-coop/ http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2009/11/10/the-fourth-kind-2009-12-movie-review-by-coop/#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:22:50 +0000 admin http://www.smalltowncritic.com/?p=2593 http://www.smalltowncritic.com/2009/11/10/the-fourth-kind-2009-12-movie-review-by-coop/feed/ 2